Variable-speed transmission mechanism



March zo, "1928; i' Y l 1,663,158

v Y s. M. DICK VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION MECHANISM Filed Nov. 5C). 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY Marchy 20, 1928. 1,663,158

s. M. DICK VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSIOMECHANISM Filed Nov. 5o, 1925 2 sheets-sheet' 2 INVENTR,

.Patented Main-20, 1928. y

UNITED sraras SAMUEL M. DICKQOF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO H. WARD.

, VARIABLE-SPEED TRANSMISSION MEoHANIsi/r.

Application led November 30, 1925. Serial No. 721,122.

My invention relates to variable speed transmission mechanism, and it has among its salient objects to provide a transmission,

mechanism which/will be as nearly noiseless as possible when in operation at any speed; to provide suchk a transmission mechanism having provision not only for a plurality of different speeds forwardly, but also having provision for a plurality of different speeds backwardly of the vehicle driven; to make possible and practicable the use of a plu-A ral-ity of worm gear drives, said worms and gears being constantly in mesh, with clutch mechanism for selectively V.connecting the.

through a transmission case, showing my im proved variable speed mechanism therein;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the selective control mechanism, shown in section in connection with Fig. 1; i

Figure 3 is a modified form of direct drive connection which can be substituted for theV Referringv now in detail to the drawings,

' I will describe the embodiment of my invention shown for illustrative and descriptive purposes, referring first to Fig. 1. A transmission case or housing 10, isprovided at one end with an enlarged'portion 11, adapted to be secured to a fly wheel housing, designated, 12, Fig. 4. 7Withinsaid transmission case, 10, is a drive shaft, 13, provided witii a sprocket wheel 14, and with the worms, 15, 16, 17 and 18, all secured to turn with said shaft.

The outer end of said shaft is provided with means, 19, for connecting it with the engine. Mounted in the transmission case, 10, isa transmission sliaft,`20, Vhaving mounted thereon a clutch sprocket, 21, connectedby means of a sprocket chain, 22, with a sprocket wheel, 14. There is also mounted on said transmission shaft, 20, clutch gears, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28, all mounted to turn freely on saidtransmissioii shaft. Mounted in said 'transmission case 10, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5,'in bear'- ing supports, as 29, are worm gear spools 30, 31, 32 and 33, having worm -gears,'30,

31', l32 and 33', at their upper ends, in mesh, respectively, with the worms 15, 16, 17 and 18, and at their lower ends, said worm gear spools are provided with beveled gears,ras

30a, 319332a and 33a, the beveled gear 30a being in mesh with the clutch gears23 and 24; the beveled gear 3la `being in mesh with the clutch gears 25 and 26; the beveled gear 32a being `in mesh with the clutch gear 27; and the beveled gear 33a beingqin mesh with the clutch Vgear 28, as shown inlFig. 1.

From the description thus far, it will be understood thatthe drive shaft, 13, and the worms', 15, 16, 17 and 18, keyed thereto, drive i thelworm gear spools, 30, 31, 32, and 33, and

that these in turn drive the clutch gears 23, 24, 25, 26, 27l and y28, on the transmission shaft` 2O,k and that the sprocket wheel 14, through the sprocket chain 22, drives the clutch sprocket 21, on said transmission shaft 20. v

Slidably keyed to said transmission shaft p 20, are double clutch members, 34, 35, 36, and 3i, adapted to be moved 1n either direction to connect, respectively, with the clutch sprocket 21, the clutch gears 23 or 24; the clutch gears 25 or 26; or withthe clutch gears 27 or 28, depending upon the direction said clutchmembers 34,35, 36 and 37 are moved. u

I will next describe the mechanism shown for moving said clutch members; Fourvfiat shift bars, 38, 39, y40 and 41, are shown, mounted one upon the other, in suitable guide members, 42, 42 and between pairs of guide lugs, 43 and 44, on the bottom of the transmission case, 10, as clearly shown in Figpl. Said shift bars are provided, re-

spectively, with clutch shifting forks, 45,-`

n top casting is provided with transverse bear-` `substantially as. shown'.

above the other, with operating forks, 49, 50, 51 and 52, shownv in Figs; 6 and 7, and also in Fig. 1. These operating forks fit around .a vertically movable member 53, mounted on the lower end of a vertical shaft 54, said member 53, being prevented from turning by means of ay stubrshaft, 55, the upper end of which slides through a bracket 56, shown as a part of the transmission case 10. Said member 53, is provided with a slot-lilrefopen'ing, l57, through its side, within which, onthe shaft 54, is an operating finger, 5,8, clearly shown in Fig.' 7. e Said vertically movable member 53,' lcan be moved vertically torpositijon said slot 57, and the operating finger, 5,8, therein, opposite oriii register with anyone ofthe operating forks, 49, 50, 51 or 52, whereby Awhei'i said shaft, 54, and said operating finger,'58, are turned in either direction, in a manner to be de scribed, it willmove that one of the operating forks, 49, 50', 51 or 52,y`vith which said finger is in register in Aeither direction a short distance, and thereby move its shift bar, vits clutch operating fork, as the case maybe, and as will Vbe clearl from the showing made. This provides a selective mechanismyfor selecting and operating the clutch shift bars for selectively operating the clutchmembers in the mannerliei'einbefore referred to. l v l A I will now describe the means for raising the: member 53, to the different vertical plositions and jfor operatingvthe shaft 54, for moving the selected "shift bar and its clutch operating fork.` v 'l Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, said vertical shaft 54, is eXteiided upwardly to a desirable and convenient position for the driver, and4 is provided at its upper end with an off-set vertical vrack 59, moving ina 'channel casting or member, 60, having its lower end 61, forming a bearing around said shaft, 54, and its upper end, 62, turning in a bearing, 63, in the npper end of a housing, 64, Said housing is .shown of 'cylindrical form, with `an enlarged annular extension, 65,}'irovided with a circumferentially eiitended slot, 66, in the iniddleparft of which slotlis a rounded portion 67. Mounted in said annular extension, V65, of said housing, 64, is an annular track casting, 68, with spring pressed lock balls, as

1 69, positioned to lock a top casting 70, `turning thereon in different positions of adjustnient, as hereinafter again referred to. Said ings, 7 and 2, which is a selective shaft, 73, having thereon a pinion 74, in mesh with said rack 59, the outer portion of said shaft,

73, being of angular form to fit inthe slot, e

66, in the annular extension so'as not to turn therein, and provided on its outermost Vend l' with an operating liandwheel, 75, and with indicator vanes, 76, Vhaving thereon the words yindicating the possible' selections, whether, Reverse, Low, First, Second, Third, Fourth, or other speeds desired. The selections are made by, moving the hand wheel, 75, and the shaft 73, to the middle rounded portion, 67, of the slot, 66, whereupon said shaft 73, can be turned as desired. This operates through thepinion,

74, and rack 59, to raise the vertical shaft 54, the desired distance, whereupon said hand wheel, 75, and said shaft, 73, can be` sivungin either direction in the slot, 66, to

shi t the selected clutch. This movement, asv

for directdrive shaft, 13', to vshaft20,"ii`i`V placefof the sprocket wheels and chainl vThis mechanism comprises'a beveled gear 77, on the shaft 13, in place of the sprocket wheel,

14, and a Clutch gear, 78, on shaft 20, i`n place of the clutch sprocket, 21, with la double beveled gear, 79 therebetween, s'aid doul ble gear, 79, being mounted `on support, 80, secured to the transmission case by means of a nut, 81, substantially as shown, an'dbeing adapted to have the shaft 13, pass through an opening 80 therein. l

The forward vdrivesA 'areA 'accomplished through the clutch gears 24, 2,6 and 27, and the reverse drives areaccomplished through clutch gears 23, 25 'and 2S, as will be clear from the showing made in Fig.l 1, and the direction indicating arrows on the various revolving parts. It rwill be 'iiderstood, of course,'that the Worms, 15, 16, 17 vand 18, and the worm gear spools, 3Q, 31, 32 and 33, and the clutch gears 23, 24, 26, 27 Y and 28, are all runningv in mesh with each other all the 'time the engine is operating, and that the selected drive, whether forward or reverse, i's depeiidf ent upon the inovem'ents of the selected clutch members, 35, 36 or 37,v and, if direct drive is desired, the movement of clutch member, 34, into the Vclutch sprocket, 21, is

moved to the central or neutral position,

67, before it can be moved to another position, or before it can bey turned, as the angular, or square shaft,73,vcannot.be turnedy except when at the neutralV position; This portion 67, of the guide selection and shift can be made.

Referring to Fig. 4, attention is called to the fact that the connection from the transmission shaft to the differential on the rearconnecting the transmissionl shaft 20, to the propeller shaft P, said propeller shaft isV in alinement withthe transmission shaft, whereas in the usual arrangement the line of connection is that indicated by the light broken line. This is made possible by reason of the fact that the driveis from the drive shaft 13, to the transmission shaft 20, and said transmission shaft is connected directly to the propeller shaft-instead of having the driving connection returned tothe alinement of the drive shaft, 13, vas in the usual transmission.

Vhile I have shown and described one practical embodiment of my invention, I am aware that changes in details and connections can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not, therefore, limit the invention to the showing made for illustrative and descriptive purposes, except as I may be limited by the hereto appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a transmission mechanism, a housing, a drive shaft, a transmission shaft, a plurality of worms on one of said shafts, a plurality ofgears on the other of said shafts, a plurality of intermediate elements having worm portions in mesh with said worms and gear portions in mesh with said gears, whereby said drive shaft and said transmission shaft are operatively connected by said worms, gears and intermediate elements, and a plurality of clutch elements for selectively operating one shaft from the other through said connections.

2. In a transmission mechanism` ay housing, a drive shaft, a transmission shaft pareach having a worm gear on one end and aV beveled gear on its other end, beveled gears on the other shaft in mesh with the beveled gears on said worm spools, and clutch members on said second shaft and movable to connect the beveled gears thereon to turn therewith, and manually operable selective and operating mechanism for controlling the movements of said clutch members.

3. In a transmission, in combination, two parallel shafts, a worm on one shaft, a worm spool in said housing having a worm at one end in mesh with said worm and having a beveled gear at its other end, two beveled gears on said other shaft and both in mesh with the beveled gear on said worm spool and driven in opposite directions thereby on said vsecond shaft, a clutch member. between said beveled gears, on 'said second shaft, and operable to connect either of said beveled .Gears to turn said second shaft,and means for moving said clutchjmember lto selectively connect said beveled gears to said secondshaft.

4t. In a transmission mechanism, a housing, a drive shaft therein, a transmission shaft therein, worms on said drive shaft, a worm spool for each worm, ,saidl wormy spools having' worm gears at one end of each and beveled gears at the other end of each, beveled gears on said transmission shaft in mesh with .the-beveled gears on said worm spools and driven thereby on said transmission shaft, clutch members on said-transmission shaft between said beveled gears, said clutch membersbeing slidably keyed to said transmission shaft'and adapted to be moved selectively into mesh with said beveled gears, and means for selectively moving said clutch members for transmitting power from said drive shaft to said transmission shaft.

5. In a transmission mechanism, -a housing, a drive shaft therein, a transmission shaft therein, a plurality of worms on said drive shaft, a plurality of worm spools supported in` said ,housing and each having a worm gear in mesh with oneof said worms 4andeach having a gear thereon, gears on said transmission shaft `in mesh-with the gears on said worm spools, clutches on said transmission shaft, between the gears thereon and operable to selectively lock said gears to said shaft for driving the latter, and manual means for selectively operating said clutches.

6. In a variable speed transmission mechanism, in combination, a housing, two parallel shafts, a plurality of worms on one shaft, a plurality of worm spools mounted in said housing and each having at one end a worm gear and at its other end a gear, said worm gears being in mesh with said worms, a plurality of gears on the other shaft in mesh with the gears on said wormspools, said gears turning freely on said other shaft, double clutch members interposed between said gears on said other shaft and each beingl movable into ,interlocking engagement with either of the gears between which it is located on said other shaft, and manually operable selective mechanism for selectively operating said clutch members,'said selective mechanism including shifting elements therebetween, clutch means for selectively establishing said driving connections, and selective control mechanism for selectively operating said clutch means.

8. In a variable speed transmission mechanism of theeharacter shown and described, in combination, a housing, two shafts therein, Worms on one shaft, gears on the *other shaft, separate intermediate members operatively connecting said Worms With said gears continuously, saidY gears turning on their shaft, clutches slidably keyed to said shaft near said gears and adapted to loch said gears to said shaft, clutch operatingV means for each clutch, and means for lselectively engaging andmovingsaid clutch'op- @rating means, said llatter,means being manually operable, vsubstantially as indicated.- y Y Signed,` atl Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, this 29th day of June, 20

SAMUEL M. DICK. 

